National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Tuesday said that extremism and terrorism is against the very meaning of Islam because Islam means Salamati and Asalaam i.e. peace and well-being adding that opposition to such forces should not be construed as a confrontation with an religion, reported the Hindu.
Mr. Doval made these remarks while speaking on the role of Ulema in fostering a culture of interfaith peace & social harmony in India & Indonesia at the India Islamic Cultural Centre in New Delhi.
Peace and Humanism are real message of Religion
Addressing some leading scholars and clerics from India and Indonesia the NSA said that “we should focus on the real message of our religions, which stands for the values of humanism, peace and understanding”.
He said that “The Holy Quran itself teaches, killing one person is like killing all humanity and saving one is akin to saving all humanity”.
Islam ordains most excellent form of Jihad
“Islam ordains that the most excellent form of Jihad is ‘Jihad Afzal’ – that is, Jihad against one’s senses or ego- and not against innocent civilians,” Doval further said.
He added that the ulema (clerics) have a leading role in educating people on the “original tolerant and moderate principles of Islam and countering extremism with progressive ideas and thought”.
“Together, we should strive to propagate moderate virtues of Islam as a beacon of hope and cooperation for the entire world,” the NSA said.
India and Indonesia home to world’s largest Muslim population
Mr. Doval said the Taj Mahal in Agra, and Hindu temples like Prambanan in Indonesia, were “a shining example of our tolerant and syncretic cultures.”
“We are both home to the world’s largest Islamic populations. Indonesia is the world’s largest Islamic country and India is home to the third largest Muslim population in the world,” he said.
He said that in a democracy, there is no place for hate speech, prejudice, propaganda, demonisation, violence, conflict, and misuse of religion for narrow ends.
In this regard, he sought civil society’s cooperation in countering the threat from ISIS-inspired individual terror cells, and returnees from theatres like Syria and Afghanistan.
“State institutions also need to come together in detecting and identifying potential negative influencers and share information to counter their activities. In this, ulemas, due to their deep connect with civil society, can play a vital role,” he said.
Youths are primary targets of Radicalisation
Mr. Doval said that our youth should receive special attention towards this end. They are often the primary target of radicalisation, but if their energies are nurtured in the right direction, they can emerge as harbingers of change and building blocks of progress in any society,” Mr. Doval said.
He said the ulema must also be adept in the use of technology and use it to thwart propaganda and hate.
The Indonesian delegation was led by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Mohammad Mahfud MD, who held a day-long dialogue with their Indian counterparts and other religious leaders at the India Islamic Cultural Centre on varied topics.
In his keynote address he said that “We have many times witnessed people who use their religion as a doctrine of absolute truth and are quick to blame others,”.
Religion should be unifying tool
“We have to go out of this and improve. Religion, I think, should be a source of peace, not the reason for discord, conflict, or violence. Religion should be a unifying tool, not a divisive instrument,” Mr. Mahfud said.
The Minister said the world is facing difficult challenges, ranging from poverty, climate change, food insecurity, the COVID-19 pandemic, corruption, unemployment, armed conflicts, income inequality, and human rights abuses.
“Where are religions when the world fights against all these common concerns?” Mr. Mahfud asked.